JOSE  CARLOS  RODRIGUES 


[1844-1923] 


A  BRIEF  SKETCH  OF  HIS  LIFE 


BY 


HUGH  C.  TUCKER 


X,.  Yryqt)C  Xx 


^  K 


AMERICAN  BIBLE  SOCIETY 
NEW  YORK 


The  Bible  in  the  Portuguese  language  was  prac¬ 
tically  unknown  in  Brazil  up  to  the  date  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  from  the  Crown  of 
Portugal  in  1822. 

Previous  to  the  year  1836,  the  American  and  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Societies  consigned  copies 
of  the  Scriptures  to  foreign  merchants  residing  on 
the  coast  of  Brazil,  and  these  were  judiciously  dis¬ 
tributed. 

Methodist  missionaries  from  1836  to  1842  carried 
on  work  of  the  distribution  of  Scriptures  supplied  by 
the  American  Bible  Society,  and  then  retired  to  the 
Argentine  Republic. 

Small  consignments  of  Scriptures  for  distribution 
continued  to  be  made  to  merchants  until  the  arrival 
of  Protestant  missionaries  of  different  churches  from 
Scotland  and  the  United  States  in  1855,  1859,  and 
1869. 

The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  established 
its  Brazil  Agency  in  1856.  The  American  Bible 
Society  established  its  regular  Agency  in  the  year 
1876,  and  has  caused  to  be  circulated  in  Brazil  at 
least  1,500,000  copies  of  the  Word  of  God.  The 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  has  circulated  a 
somewhat  larger  number;  and  the  National  Bible 
Society  of  Scotland  and  others,  together  with  private 
enterprises  and  efforts,  have  in  various  ways  during 
these  years  furnished  gospel  workers  and  readers 
in  Brazil  about  300.000  copies.  We  have  then  a  total 
of  not  le^s  than  3,500,000  of  the  Scriptures  put  into 
the  hands  of  the  Brazilian  people  up  to  the  close  of 
the  year  1924. 


DR.  J.  C.  RODRIGUES 


Dr.  JOSE  CARLOS  RODRIGUES 

[1844-1923] 

A  BRIEF  SKETCH 

OF 

HIS  LIFE 

BY 

HUGH  C.  TUCKER 


AMERICAN  BIBLE  SOCIETY 
NEW  YORK 


Dr.  Jose  Carlos  Rodrigues 

ONE  of  Brazil’s  most  distinguished  citizens  was 
buried  in  Highgate  Cemetery,  London,  Eng¬ 
land,  July  21,  1923,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine.  He 
was  born  and  reared  in  the  hill  country  of  Canta- 
gallo,  a  short  distance  over  the  coast  range  from  the 
city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro.  His  parents  were  industrious 
and  devoted,  and  gave  their  son  the  advantages  of 
such  primary  and  preparatory  education  as  were 
available  in  Brazil  more  than  three-quarters  of  a 
century  ago ;  and  gave  him  also  the  opportunity  of 
taking  a  course  at  the  law  school  in  the  city  of 
Sao  Paulo.  The  early  home  training  and  educational 
influences,  for  which  he  was  always  grateful,  made 
their  definite  contributions  to  the  training  of  his  mind 
and  the  development  of  his  character.  He  was  a 
student  and  became  distinguished  as  a  scholar, 
editor,  and  waiter;  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being 
a  capable  and  successful  business  man ;  was  a  wise 
counselor  and  trusted  agent  of  statesmen  and  the 
Brazilian  Government  in  large  financial  transactions 
with  foreign  banks.  He  was  patriotic,  philanthropic, 
and  devoted  to  the  promotion  of  friendship  and  in¬ 
ternational  good  will  among  men.  He  at  one  time 
made  an  exhaustive  study  of  the  De  Lesseps  scheme 
and  the  various  and  complicated  conditions  relating 
to  the  enterprise  of  cutting  the  Panama  Canal,  and 
wrote  an  illuminating  and  instructive  work  on  the 
subject.  When  Mr.  Roosevelt  was  being  entertained 
at  his  home  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  he  remarked  to 
Dr.  Rodrigues  that  this  book  had  led  him  to  take  the 
steps  he  did  to  build  the  Panama  Canal.  He  was  my 
friend  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

3 


How  I  Came  to  Know  Him 


In  the  year  1877,  the  American  Bible  Society  in¬ 
vited  me  to  take  charge  of  their  Agency  for  Brazil, 
and  Bishop  John  C.  Granbery,  then  in  charge  of  the 
Methodist  Mission  in  the  Empire,  confirmed  the 
appointment.  Early  in  the  period  of  the  work, 
Protestant  missionaries  and  Brazilian  scholars  were 
calling  attention  to  the  need  of  a  revision  or  new 
translation  of  the  Bible  in  Portuguese.  The  demand 
became  a  subject  of  correspondence  with  the  head 
office  at  New  York.  It  was  suggested  that  an  inter¬ 
view  be  arranged  with  Dr.  Jose  Carlos  Rodrigues, 
who  was  known  to  be  interested  in  the  subject.  He 
had  been  at  Princeton  University,  and  had  engaged 
in  newspaper  work  at  New  York  for  a  period  of 
fifteen  years,  1867-1882.  While  residing  in  that 
city,  he  established  and  edited  in  Portuguese  a  weekly 
paper,  0  Novo  Mundo,  The  New  World,  which  had 
a  large  circulation  throughout  Brazil.  He  became 
well  and  favorably  known  in  newspaper  circles  at 
New  York  and  throughout  the  eastern  section  of 
our  country.  The  Secretaries  of  the  American  Bible 
Society  had  made  his  acquaintance  and  learned  of  his 
interest  in  the  Bible,  and  of  his  desire  for  a  more 
adequate  version  in  his  native  tongue.  His  interest, 
indeed,  had  reached  the  point  of  an  attempt  to  revise 
or  translate  the  New  Testament.  Before  completing 
the  work,  he  accepted  an  engagement  with  a  Brazilian 
gentleman  to  secure  a  large  foreign  loan  for  railroad 
construction  in  Brazil,  and  went  to  London,  where 
he  spent  most  of  the  time  during  a  period  of  eight 
years.  Upon  leaving  New  York,  he  handed  over 
to  the  Bible  Society  his  manuscript  of  the  transla¬ 
tion  or  revision  that  he  had  accomplished.  When  he 
reached  Rio  de  Janeiro,  after  completing  his  mission 
at  London,  I  was  requested  by  the  Rev.  E.  W. 
Gilman,  D.D.,  one  of  the  Secretaries  of  the  Bible 

4 


Society,  to  ascertain  if  Dr.  Rodrigues  would  be  inter¬ 
ested  to  engage  further  in  the  work  of  Bible 
revision  in  the  Portuguese  language.  The  fulfillment 
of  this  request  was  the  occasion  of  my  first  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  him  of  whom  I  write.  The  reception 
accorded  me  was  cordial  and  courteous ;  and  I  ob¬ 
served  that  the  object  of  my  interview  met  with  an 
expression  of  sympathetic  interest.  Our  conversa¬ 
tion  lasted  for  only  about  twenty  minutes,  but  I  was 
impressed  with  his  intelligent  appreciation  of  the 
object  of  my  mission,  and  came  awTay  wondering 
if  I  would  ever  have  the  opportunity  of  knowing 
more  intimately  the  cultivated,  courteous  Brazilian 
gentleman  who  had  received  me  so  kindly  and  talked 
so  enthusiastically  about  the  Bible  in  the  Portuguese 
language. 

Dr.  Rodrigues,  the  year  following  the  overthrow 
of  the  monarchy  and  the  proclamation  of  the  repub¬ 
lic, — 1889, — organized  a  company  with  Brazilian 
capital  and  bought  the  Rio  daily  paper,  O  Jornal  do 
Commercio.  He  assured  me,  at  the  time  of  our 
interview,  that  he  did  not  regard  himself  in  anywise 
capable  to  serve  on  a  committee  to  revise  or  translate 
the  Bible;  and,  besides,  he  was  just  assuming  the 
editorship  and  direction  of  a  daily  paper,  which,  he 
hoped,  might  play  an  important  part  in  establishing 
and  guiding  the  young  republic;  consequently,  he 
could  not  find  time  to  engage  in  the  work  I  had  pro¬ 
posed. 

The  subject  of  Bible  translation  was  left  somewhat 
in  abeyance  for  several  years;  but  I  sought  other 
means  of  cultivating  a  closer  acquaintance  with  the 
scholarly  gentleman  who  had  made  such  a  profound 
and  favorable  impression  on  the  occasion  of  our  first 
interview.  The  liberal  policy  adopted  in  his  paper 
made  it  possible  to  request  the  publication  of  notices 
concerning  our  Bible  work,  Protestant  missionary 
enterprise  in  Brazil,  and  mission  schools  being  estab- 

5 


lished  by  the  Methodist  and  other  boards.  I  soon  felt 
free  to  ask  his  advice  and  aid  in  many  matters  of 
importance  to  the  work.  He  was  always  a  wise  and 
helpful  counselor.  As  our  acquaintance  grew  into 
an  intimate  friendship,  I  was  impressed  with  his  in¬ 
telligent  interest  in  our  work  of  Bible  distribution, 
and  learned  that  he  was  a  real  student  of  the  greatest 
of  all  books.  I  desired  to  know  how  he  first  became 
interested  in  the  Bible. 


How  He  Found  the  Bible 

He  told  me  the  story  more  or  less  as  follows : 

He  was  a  student  at  the  law  school  in  the  city  of 
Sao  Paulo,  and  on  one  occasion  when  returning  on 
mule  back  from  a  visit  to  his  home,  he  turned  aside 
to  spend  a  few  days  with  friends  living  on  a  farm 
some  distance  from  the  main  road.  There  for  the 
first  time  he  saw  and  read  a  Bible  that  he  found  in 
the  house.  It  had  reached  there,  presumably,  through 
the  Methodist  missionary,  the  Rev.  Daniel  P.  Kidder, 
during  the  period  of  his  missionary  and  Bible  dis¬ 
tribution  labors  in  the  short  period  of  his  work  in 
Brazil — 1837-1842.  No  one  in  the  family  seemed 
to  have  given  any  special  attention  to  the  book;  but 
Dr.  Rodrigues  was  deeply  impressed  and  interested 
from  the  first.  Later  he  returned  to  that  distant  farm 
house,  ostensibly  to  visit  his  friends,  but  in  reality 
to  read  and  learn  more  of  the  wonderful  book  he  had 
accidently  found. 

In  the  year  1855,  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Fletcher  traveled 
about  three  thousand  miles  through  Brazil,  making 
observations  and  gathering  information  for  additions 
to  “Sketches,”  by  Dr.  Kidder,  first  published  about 
the  time  of  the  birth  of  my  friend,  Dr.  Rodrigues. 
In  the  year  1879,  revising  this  work,  he  says :  “The 
thanks  of  the  authors  are  especially  due  for  aid  and 
corrections  in  preparing  this  edition,  and  for  many 

6 


other  favors,  to  Dr.  J.  C.  Rodrigues,  a  Brazilian 
gentleman  of  great  worth,  who  resides  in  New  York, 
and  who  is  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  two  most 
important  and  earnest  papers  in  Portuguese,  the  Novo 
Mundo  and  the  Revista  Industrial.  These  are,  per¬ 
haps,  the  most  ably  edited  Brazilian  periodicals,  judg¬ 
ing  from  the  American  and  English  standpoint.  The 
editor  is  a  graduate  of  the  law  school  at  Sao  Paulo. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1867,  and  has  here 
seriously  studied  the  advantages  and  disadvantages 
of  his  native  land.  He  is  thoroughly  patriotic,  but 
impartial.  ‘Faithful  are  the  wounds  of  a  friend/  is 
his  motto.” 

Dr.  Kidder  wrote  as  follows  of  his  first  journey 
through  the  Province  of  Sao  Paulo,  in  1839: 
“Although  two  hundred  years  had  elapsed  since  the 
discovery  and  first  settlement  of  the  Province  of  Sao 
Paulo,  it  is  not  known  that  a  Protestant  minister 
of  the  gospel  had  ever  visited  it  before.  Although 
colonized  with  the  ostensible  purpose  of  converting 
the  natives,  and  subsequently  inhabited  by  scores  of 
monks  and  priests,  there  is  no  probability  that  a  per¬ 
son  had  ever  before  entered  its  domains,  carrying 
copies  of  the  Word  of  Life  in  the  vernacular  tongue, 
with  the  express  intent  of  putting  them  in  the  hands 
of  the  people.” 

In  writing  of  a  visit  to  the  home  of  a  priest  in  an 
interior  town,  he  says :  “After  reading  the  letter 
which  I  brought,  he  entered  the  room  and  bade  me 
a  cordial  welcome.  He  had  arrived  in  company  with 
the  ex-Regent  Feijo,  with  whom  I  had  previously 
enjoyed  an  interview  at  the  city  of  Sao  Paulo,  and 
from  whom  he  had  received  notices  of  me,  as  inquir¬ 
ing  into  the  religious  state  of  the  country.  My  way 
was  thus  made  easy  to  introduce  the  special  topic  of 
my  mission.  On  showing  me  his  library — a  very 
respectable  collection  of  books — he  distinguished,  as 
his  favorite  work,  Calmet’s  Bible,  in  French,  in 

7 


twenty-six  volumes.  He  had  no  Bible  or  Testament 
in  Portuguese.  I  told  him  I  had  heard  that  an  edi¬ 
tion  was  about  to  be  published  at  Rio,  with  notes 
and  comments,  under  the  patronage  and  sanction  of 
the  Archbishop.  This  project  had  been  set  on  foot  in 
order  to  counteract  the  circulation  of  the  editions  of 
the  Bible  Societies,  but  was  never  carried  into  effect. 
He  knew  nothing  of  it.  He  had  heard,  however, 
that  Bibles  in  the  vulgar  tongue  had  been  sent  to  Rio 
de  Janeiro,  as  to  other  parts  of  the  world,  which 
could  be  procured  gratis,  or  for  a  trifling  considera¬ 
tion.  Judge  of  the  happy  surprise  with  which  I  heard 
from  his  lips  that  some  of  these  Bibles  had  already 
appeared  in  this  neighborhood,  three  hundred  miles 
distant  from  our  depository  at  Rio.  His  first  remark 
was,  that  he  did  not  know  how  much  good  would 
come  from  their  perusal,  on  account  of  the  bad  ex¬ 
ample  of  their  bishops  and  priests.  I  informed  him 
frankly  that  I  was  one  of  the  persons  engaged  in 
distributing  these  Bibles,  and  endeavored  to  explain 
the  motives  of  our  enterprise,  which  he  seemed  to 
appreciate.  I  asked  him  what  report  I  should  give 
to  the  religious  world  respecting  Brazil :  'Say  that 
we  are  in  darkness,  behind  the  age,  and  almost 
abandoned.’  'But  that  you  wish  for  light?’  'That  we 
wish  for  nothing.  We  are  hoping  in  God,  the  Father 
of  lights.’  On  my  asking  how  the  ex-Regent  and 
others  like  him  would  regard  the  circulation  of  the 
Scriptures  among  the  people,  he  said  they  would  re¬ 
joice  in  it,  and  that  the  propriety  of  the  enterprise 
would  scarcely  admit  of  discussion.  ‘Then,’  said  I, 
'when  we  are  engaged  in  this  work,  we  can  have  the 
satisfaction  to  know  that  we  are  doing  what  the  bet¬ 
ter  part  of  your  own  clergy  approve.’  'Certainly,’ 
he  replied;  "you  are  doing  what  we  ought  to  be 
doing  ourselves.’  ” 

Dr.  Kidder’s  efforts  to  introduce  the  Bible  into 
Brazil  met  with  such  a  cordial  reception,  that  he  was 

8 


led  to  present  to  the  Provincial  Assembly  of  the 
Province  of  Sao  Paulo  a  proposition  “to  guarantee, 
on  the  part  of  the  said  American  Bible  Society,  the 
free  donation  of  copies  of  the  New  Testament,  trans¬ 
lated  into  Portuguese  by  the  Padre  Antonio  Pereira 
de  Figueiredo,  in  sufficient  number  to  furnish  every 
primary  school  in  the  province  with  a  library  of  one 
dozen — on  the  simple  condition  that  said  copies  shall 
be  received  as  delivered  at  the  Alfandega  (custom¬ 
house)  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  caused  to  be  distrib¬ 
uted  among,  preserved  in,  and  used  by,  the  said 
several  schools,  as  books  of  general  reading  and 
instruction  for  the  pupils  of  the  same. 

“With  the  most  sincere  desires  for  the  moral  and 
civil  prosperity  of  the  Imperial  Province  of  Sao 
Paulo,  the  above  proposition  is  humbly  and  respect¬ 
fully  submitted. 

“D.  P.  Kidder/’ 

City  of  Sao  Paulo,  February  15,  1839. 

The  next  day  he  received  the  following  official 
communication : 

“I  inform  you  that  the  Legislative  Assembly  has 
received  with  especial  satisfaction  your  offer  of 
copies  of  the  New  Testament,  translated  by  the 
Padre  Antonio  Pereira  de  Figueiredo,  and  that  the 
Legislature  will  enter  into  a  consideration  of  the  sub¬ 
ject,  the  result  of  which  will  be  communicated  to  you. 

“God  preserve  you! 

“Miguel  Eufrazio  de  Azevedo  Marquez, 

“ Secretary ” 

He  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  professor  in  the 
law  school  which  Dr.  Rodrigues  afterwards  at¬ 
tended,  and  writes :  “He  gave  as  emphatic  an  account 
as  I  have  heard  from  any  one,  of  the  unhappy  aban¬ 
donment  of  all  vital  godliness  and  of  the  unworthi¬ 
ness  of  many  of  the  clergy.  He  approved  of  the 
enterprise  of  the  Bible  Societies,  and  cheerfully  con- 

9 


sented  to  promote  it  within  the  circle  of  his  influence, 
by  distributing  Bibles  and  tracts,  and  reporting  their 
utility/’ 

Owing  to  agitations  and  intrigues  that  arose,  the 
proposed  measure  was  never  approved  by  the  Legis¬ 
lative  Assembly. 

Mr.  Fletcher  wrote,  in  1855 : 

“I  visited  Sao  Paulo  for  the  first  time  sixteen 
years  after  the  events  narrated  above,  and  I  found 
the  same  willingness  manifested  by  all  ranks  of  so¬ 
ciety  to  the  reception  of  the  Word  which  my  com¬ 
panion  in  authorship  experienced  among  the  Paul- 
istas,  and  I  was  thus  enabled  to  diffuse  very  many 
copies  of  Holy  Writ.  From  time  to  time,  in  this 
pleasant  portion  of  Brazil,  I  found  much  to  encourage 
my  labors  among  the  humble  and  ignorant,  as  well 
as  among  the  more  elevated  and  intelligent.  It  was 
not  less  pleasing,  occasionally,  to  trace  the  workings 
of  the  seeds  of  truth  sown  so  many  years  before 
by  Dr.  Kidder.  I  found  that  an  eminent  Brazilian 
had  been  won,  by  the  perusal  of  A  Santa  Biblia,  to 
‘wisdom’s  ways,’  and  to  become  the  earnest  advocate 
of  its  circulation.  Far  in  the  interior  of  this  province 
I  met  with  two  gentlemen,  who  did  not  profess  to  be 
Christians,  but  who,  as  philanthropists,  took  a  deep 
interest  in  the  Bible  cause.  One  of  them  told  me  that 
a  few  days  before,  a  Brazilian  came  to  him  with  a 
Portuguese  Bible,  saying  that  he  was  ‘so  rejoiced  to 
have  the  Bible  in  his  own  vernacular.’  My  informant 
thinks  this  ‘Biblia’  must  have  come  either  from  my 
predecessor  or  from  the  Bibles  left  at  the  house  of 
an  American  merchant  in  Rio  de  Janeiro.  I  was 
also  informed  by  an  English  watchmaker  at  Cam¬ 
pinas,  that  he  had  met  with  a  Brazilian  who  had  in 
his  possession  a  Portuguese  Bible,  and  that  he  took 
great  pleasure  in  carrying  it  with  him  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  each  Sunday.” 

10  * 


These  citations  serve  to  indicate  a  certain  atmo¬ 
sphere  and  conditions  existing  in  the  city  of  Sao 
Paulo  and  throughout  the  country,  at  the  time  Dr. 
Rodrigues  was  a  student  there;  and  to  explain  also 
how  the  Bible  he  first  found  had  reached  that  farm. 
There  are  likewise  many  other  incidents  of  fruit¬ 
gathering  from  that  early  seedsowing. 

The  unfortunate  circumstances  attending  the  fail¬ 
ure  of  a  large  business  firm  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  which 
retained  Dr.  Rodrigues  as  a  lawyer  soon  after  his 
graduation,  gave  occasion  for  his  being  sent  to  New 
York.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  there,  it  became 
necessary  for  him  to  seek  means  of  support ;  he  was 
without  resources  and  dependent  upon  his  own 
efforts.  During  the  early  days  of  his  stay,  he  had 
occasion,  at  Princeton  University  and  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  to  learn  more  about  the  Book.  However, 
in  the  struggle  for  support  he  did  not  find  the  time 
and  opportunities  for  Bible  study  that  later  in  life  he 
wished  he  might  have  enjoyed.  He  remarked  one 
day,  when  we  were  talking  about  preachers  and  ser¬ 
mons,  that  a  sermon  by  a  Baptist  preacher  in  Phila¬ 
delphia  had  made  the  most  profound  and  lasting  im¬ 
pression  upon  his  mind  and  heart  of  any  he  remem¬ 
bered  to  have  heard.  A  friend  had  invited  him  to 
hear  a  man  who  was  considered  one  of  the  most 
eloquent  preachers  of  the  day.  They  went  on  a 
Sunday  morning  to  the  church,  and  were  greatly 
disappointed  to  hear  one  of  the  deacons  announce 
that  the  gifted  preacher  had  suddenly  fallen  ill;  but 
that  a  visiting  country  preacher,  who  happened  to  be 
spending  the  day  in  the  city,  had  kindly  consented 
to  conduct  the  service.  Dr.  Rodrigues  described  the 
preacher  as  a  man  with  but  limited  education  and 
culture,  but  of  great  spiritual  fervor  and  power.  The 
sermon  touched  his  heart  and  stirred  his  soul  to 
greater  interest  in  the  reading  and  study  of  the  Bible. 


11 


How  the  Bible  Found  Him 

The  interest  awakened  in  Sao  Paulo  by  the  early 
efforts  of  Daniel  P.  Kidder  to  circulate  a  few  copies 
of  the  Scriptures  supplied  by  the  American  Bible 
Society  did  not  entirely  subside  when,  in  1842,  the 
missionary  buried  his  wife  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  was 
compelled  to  return  to  the  States  with  an  infant 
child,  and  to  give  up  the  work.  Twenty  years  later, 
a  young  Brazilian  going  to  Sao  Paulo  to  study  law, 
heard  something  of  the  man  and  of  the  few  copies 
of  the  Book  he  had  left  behind.  This  seems  to  have 
awakened  at  least  curiosity  and  some  desire  to  see 
and  read  a  copy  of  the  Book.  The  copy  that  had 
been  carried  far  from  the  roadside  into  a  farmhouse 
was  waiting  to  find  the  young  man;  but  little  did  he 
think  they  would  meet  when  he  turned  aside  to  visit 
friends  and  spend  the  night.  The  Book  seized  its 
opportunity  that  night,  in  the  quietude  and  stillness 
of  that  home  among  the  hills,  with  only  a  dim  light 
for  reading,  attracted  attention,  and  stirred  the  heart 
of  the  young  traveler  just  starting  on  life’s  journey. 
He  went  on  to  finish  his  school  course ;  but  all  the 
time  the  Book  was  appealing  to  him  so  strongly  that 
he  sought  occasion  again  to  turn  aside  and  hear  its 
voice  speaking  to  his  heart. 

He  became  later  a  diligent  reader  of  this  Book 
when  he  was  able  to  buy  a  copy  as  his  own  personal 
property.  He  read  it  first  somewhat  as  history.  He 
was  interested  in  the  religion  of  his  fathers  and  his 
fellow  countrymen  as  taught  by  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  which  at  that  time  was  the  state  church  of 
the  Empire.  The  Book  spoke  to  him  of  names  he 
had  heard  before — God  the  Creator,  Jesus,  the  Son 
of  God,  etc. — and  seemed  to  tell  things  about  them 
he  had  not  before  heard ;  these  were  truths  he  wished 
to  know.  As  the  Book  led  him  into  an  experience  of 
its  truth,  he  became  a  habitual  and  devout  daily 
reader  of  its  holy  lessons. 

12 


Two  incidents  will  serve  to  indicate  that  to  him  the 
Bible  was  a  book  of  devotion  and  of  spiritual  guid¬ 
ance.  When  Dr.  Rodrigues  had  achieved  success 
with  the  great  daily  paper  at  Rio,  O  Jornal  do  Com- 
mercio,  and  was  prospering  financially,  he  told  me 
one  afternoon,  as  we  walked  and  talked  together  in 
a  quiet  place  at  sunset,  of  his  desire  to  invest  a  con¬ 
siderable  sum  of  money  in  some  form  of  an  institu¬ 
tion  for  the  children  or  young  people  of  his  country. 
I  mentioned  the  need  of  a  girls’  school,  since  female 
education  was  much  neglected  and  the  opportunities 
far  less  for  them  than  for  boys.  Later  he  became 
interested  in  the  need  for  a  child’s  clinic,  especially 
for  the  poor,  and  decided  to  found  and  partly  endow 
one  in  the  capital  city  of  the  country.  It  seemed 
to  him  that  it  would  be  wise  to  place  the  general 
direction  of  this  institution  under  the  control  of  a 
large  public  hospital,  owned  and  governed  by  one  of 
the  brotherhoods  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
When  his  thought  in  this  matter  became  known,  cer¬ 
tain  elements  suggested  his  name  for  a  place  on  the 
governing  board  of  the  hospital.  To  this  there  was 
serious  objection  and  outspoken  opposition.  Some 
of  the  daily  papers  denounced  him  as  a  Protestant, 
and  his  paper  as  an  organ  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
There  was  a  stir  in  the  city,  and  a  lively  discussion 
arose.  The  desire  to  obtain  the  control  of  his  money 
prevailed,  and  he  was  elected  to  membership  on  the 
board. 

The  morning  following  his  election,  he  met  with 
the  other  members  around  the  table,  to  reorganize 
the  board  and  to  plan  the  work  for  the  new  year. 
While  waiting  for  one  or  two  gentlemen  who  were 
behind  time,  a  very  devout  Roman  Catholic  among 
the  number  who  had  favored  his  election  said  to 
him,  “Now,  Doctor,  that  it  is  all  passed,  please  tell 
me,  are  you  really  a  Protestant?”  He  replied,  “I 
hope  I  am  a  Christian.”  “Yes,  but  you  evade  the 


13 


issue.  I  wish  to  know  if  you  are  indeed  a  Prot¬ 
estant?”  He  gave  the  same  answer  again.  His 
friend  said,  “But,  if  you  have  no  objection,  I  would 
be  glad  to  know  the  real  truth  in  the  case.  I  assure 
you  it  will  make  no  difference  with  me  whatever 
in  our  relationship  and  work  on  the  board  for  this 
hospital.”  Dr.  Rodrigues  then  said  to  him,  “I  will 
ask  you  and  others  here  one  question.  It  is  my 
custom  daily  to  read  some  portion  of  God’s  Word 
and  pray  for  guidance  and  blessings  before  I  leave 
my  room  in  the  morning.  You  know  I  am  a  busy 
man,  with  great  responsibilities  and  heavy  work  in 
the  editorship  of  my  daily  paper.  In  order  to  be  in 
my  office  on  time,  we  have  marked  this  meeting 
earlier  than  the  board  usually  meets ;  and  to  be  here 
on  time  required  that  I  leave  my  home  earlier  than 
usual.  But,  that  I  might  not  deny  myself  my  accus¬ 
tomed  devotional  hour  with  my  Bible  and  prayer,  it 
became  necessary  for  me  to  be  up  that  much  earlier, 
that  I  might  have  time  to  read  and  meditate  on  a 
passage  of  God’s  Word ;  and  not  only  pray  as  usual 
for  daily  guidance  and  blessing,  but  to  ask  for 
special  wisdom  and  help  for  the  new  duties  and 
responsibilities  that  I  now  assume  with  you,  gentle¬ 
men,  in  the  administration  of  this  great  hospital. 
This  is  what  I  did.  Now,  let  me  ask  you,  gentlemen, 
who  also  profess  to  be  Christians,  what  did  you  do 
this  morning  before  coming  here  as  a  preparation 
for  the  work  and  an  effort  to  obtain  divine  favor 
and  blessing?”  Needless  to  say  this  question  was 
never  answered,  and  the  group  turned  their  attention 
to  the  special  work  for  which  they  were  assembled. 

Yes,  the  Book,  indeed,  found  him  and  made  of 
him  a  devout  daily  student  of  its  blessed  truths.  I 
heard  this  story  from  him  as  we  sat  one  evening  in 
his  study,  talking  of  God’s  wonderful  revelation  to 
man  and  of  the  devotional  reading  of  the  Bible. 

When  he  was  preparing  his  monumental  work  on 

14 


the  Old  Testament,  of  which  I  shall  say  a  word 
later,  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  go  to  New  York 
to  supply  himself  with  the  best  books  to  be  obtained 
on  the  subject,  and  incidentally  to  look  after  a  few 
other  matters.  He  decided  to  have  a  grandniece, 
a  bright  young  girl  of  about  fourteen  years,  accom¬ 
pany  him.  He  was  very  busy  during  their  short 
stay  in  New  York,  and  would  mark  the  hour  to  start 
out  from  their  hotel  each  morning.  To  be  sure  she 
was  on  time,  the  niece  would  call  at  his  door 
before  the  hour  indicated,  and  a  number  of  times 
she  heard  the  reply:  “I  have  not  yet  finished  my 
reading  and  devotions.”  The  young  girl  related  to 
me  the  story  herself.  From  others  and  from  him 
I  have  heard  similar  testimony  as  to  his  use  of  the 
Bible  as  a  book  of  devotion. 

I  was  in  his  library  after  the  news  of  his  death 
was  received  at  Rio,  and,  in  looking  over  some  of 
his  books,  I  noticed  a  badly  worn  copy  of  the  Portu¬ 
guese  Bible.  The  leaves  were  marked  with  blue, 
red,  and  black  pencils,  and  there  were  indications 
that  its  pages  had  been  handled  and  read  many  times. 
I  called  the  attention  of  the  attendant  who  was  with 
me  to  this  book.  He  has  been  employed  in  Dr. 
Rodrigues’  home  for  seventeen  years.  Fie  remarked, 
“Yes,  he  always  slept  with  that  Bible  under  his 
pillow,  from  the  time  I  was  first  employed  by  him 
when  he  lived  in  Baependy  Street.”  Fie  read  it  the 
last  thing  at  night  and  the  first  thing  in  the  morning. 

As  I  looked  further  through  the  library,  I  found 
there  an  English  Bible  with  Mr.  William  Jennings 
Bryan’s  name  in  it,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
leaf  was  his  presentation  to  Dr.  Rodrigues  at  the  time 
he  was  a  guest  in  the  latter’s  home  in  Rio,  in  the 
year  1910.  This  volume  also  showed  signs  of  having 
been  used  freely. 

His  editorials  and  articles  written  for  the  Jornal 
do  Commercio,  during  the  quarter  of  a  century  that 

15 


he  was  its  editor,  not  only  gave  evidence  of  a  large 
acquaintance  with  the  Bible,  but  revealed  the  fact 
that  he  believed  in  its  teachings  and  loved  its  truths. 
He  would  have  its  doctrines  and  precepts  applied  to 
individual  and  public  life;  he  believed  obedience  to 
its  teachings  was  the  solution  of  life’s  problems.  He 
strongly  advocated  the  right  and  duty  of  every  in¬ 
dividual  to  read  and  appropriate  to  his  deepest  needs 
the  Word  of  God. 


Translation  and  Circulation 

One  can  readily  understand  why  he  showed  a  deep 
interest  in  an  adequate  translation  of  the  Book  into 
the  language  of  his  people,  and  its  widest  possible 
circulation  throughout  the  entire  country. 

The  American  and  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Societies,  in  the  year  1901,  authorized  the  selection 
of  a  committee  of  seven,  three  foreign  missionaries 
and  four  native  scholars,  to  undertake  the  work  of  a 
new  translation  of  the  Bible,  so  long  desired  in  the 
Portuguese  language.  The  work  as  it  proceeded 
found  in  Dr.  Rodrigues  a  warm  and  helpful  friend, 
though  he  never  became  an  active  member  of  the 
committee.  It  was  necessary  to  have  the  manuscript 
of  the  first  books  translated  printed,  in  order  that 
they  might  be  widely  circulated  for  study,  criticism, 
and  suggestions.  He  went  with  me  personally  to  the 
foreman  of  the  printing  office  of  his  great  daily 
paper,  and  gave  instructions  for  the  work  to  be  done 
at  the  minimum  cost,  with  no  profit  whatever  to  the 
establishment.  The  first  issue  of  the  entire  New 
Testament,  a  book  at  a  time,  was  printed  in  this 
way ;  and  likewise  he  favored  us  with  the  Old 
Testament. 

Dr.  Rodrigues  was  one  of  the  first  to  express  his 
appreciation  of  the  work  and  to  encourage  the  com¬ 
mittee  to  continue.  In  his  work  on  the  Old  Testa- 

16 


ment  he  speaks  highly  of  this  translation  as  being 
faithful  to  the  originals  according  to  the  best  authori¬ 
ties,  as  he  has  had  occasion  to  verify  with  the  greatest 
care;  and  adds  further  that  because  of  its  excellen¬ 
cies,  it  is  the  Portuguese  version  that  should  be 
accepted  as  the  most  faithful,  and,  for  this  reason, 
indispensable  to  those  who  study  the  Bible.  He  not 
only  wrote  at  times  to  express  his  appreciation  of  the 
translation,  but  on  different  occasions  called  at  the 
office  of  the  American  Bible  Society  Agency  to  talk 
of  the  work,  and  to  assure  us  of  his  interest  in  its 
wide  circulation  among  his  people. 

He  believed  heartily  in  the  work  of  the  Bible  So¬ 
cieties  in  distributing  the  Scriptures  among  the 
people,  and  gave  me  as  a  Bible  Agent  much  encour¬ 
agement  and  much  helpful  advice.  I  found  in  him 
many  times  a  sympathetic  and  interested  listener  to 
reports  I  brought  of  long  and  perilous  journeys  made 
through  the  great  interior  of  Brazil  in  the  extension 
of  Scripture  distribution. 

It  was  his  custom  for  a  number  of  years  on 
occasions  like  Christmas,  Good  Friday,  and  Easter 
Sunday,  to  write  and  publish  in  his  paper  extensive 
studies  on  the  life  and  teachings  of  Christ.  The 
preachers  and  people  read  with  great  interest  and 
profit  what  he  wrote ;  at  one  time  he  collected  and 
published  a  number  of  these  articles  in  a  small  vol¬ 
ume  that  had  a  wide  circulation. 

His  interest  in  the  Bible  and  the  propagation  of 
its  truths  among  his  people  led  him  to  adopt  a  liberal 
policy  with  his  paper,  O  Jornal  do  Commercio,  in 
writing  editorials  and  publishing  communications  on 
noncontroversial  topics.  At  one  time  he  published 
a  series  of  articles  he  had  encouraged  me  to  prepare 
on  such  topics  as  “the  Bible  and  National  Ideals,” 
“the  Bible  and  Public  Education,”  “the  Bible  and 
Morals,”  “the  Bible  and  Literature.”  He  also  trans¬ 
lated  and  published  in  his  paper,  from  time  to  time 

17 


— articles  of  great  value  on  Biblical  topics  and 
various  religious  subjects. 

We  were  talking  one  time  about  the  Protestant 
missionary  work  in  Brazil.  He  expressed  his  desire 
to  see  the  unadulterated  truth  of  pure  Christianity 
disseminated  throughout  the  country,  and  diligently 
taught  to  the  people.  I  asked  him  what  he  con¬ 
sidered  the  most  efficient  agencies  for  instructing  the 
people  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Bible.  He  dropped 
his  head  and  thought  for  a  moment;  then  replied 
with  deep  earnestness,  “The  press  and  the  ministry; 
establish  a  great  religious  paper,  and  educate  and 
train  a  native  ministry.”  Later  in  the  conversation 
he  expressed  his  conviction  that  the  wider  circulation 
of  the  Bible  among  the  people  was  fundamental  in 
building  up  a  religious  literature,  and  in  training  and 
equipping  a  native  ministry. 

A  Great  Work  on  the  Old  Testament 

His  interest  in  the  Bible,  its  adequate  translation 
into  the  Portuguese  language,  and  its  widest  possible 
circulation  among  the  people ;  his  desire  for  a  Bib¬ 
lical  literature  in  Portuguese  and  for  material  to 
stimulate  and  help  native  students  of  the  Word  of 
God,  led  him  to  take  a  remarkable  step.  After 
twenty-five  years  of  eminently  successful  editorial 
work  and  business  management  of  one  of  the  great 
daily  papers  of  the  day,  he  resigned  his  position, 
turned  over  his  work  to  others  whom  he  had  trained, 
and  devoted  his  time  and  talents  for  five  years  to  the 
preparation  of  a  really  great  work  in  Portuguese, 
entitled  “Historical  and  Critical  Studies  on  the  Old 
Testament.”  He  spent  considerable  sums  of  money 
in  purchasing  books  on  the  subject  in  English,  Ger¬ 
man,  and  French.  He  supplied  himself  with  a 
number  of  books  while  in  London  on  business  for 
the  Brazilian  Government,  and  made  a  voyage  to 

18 


New  York  for  the  express  purpose  of  obtaining  fur¬ 
ther  supplies  of  the  best  available  assistance.  It 
was  a  great  pleasure  to  visit  with  him  during  the 
months  and  years  that  he  was  engaged  in  this  work ; 
we  had  many  interesting  and  helpful  conversations 
together. 

When  his  manuscript  was  finally  ready,  not  being 
able  to  have  the  printing  done  in  Brazil  as  he  desired 
it  should  be,  he  decided  to  go  to  London  and  there 
obtain  permission  to  use  some  of  the  most  perfect 
maps  that  exist  of  Palestine  and  Oriental  countries, 
and  also  valuable  photographic  reprints  of  ancient 
manuscripts  and  archeological  discoveries.  A  few 
days  before  he  embarked  for  England,  he  called  at 
my  home  and  handed  me  a  copy  of  his  manuscript, 
saying  he  wished  me  to  be  the  custodian  of  the  same; 
one  could  never  know  in  this  world  of  uncertainties 
what  might  happen:  he  might  never  reach  England, 
or  the  copy  he  was  taking  with  him  might  .be  lost  or 
destroyed ;  and  if  he  should  not  live  to  have  it  printed, 
I  might  make  such  use  of  the  copy  he  was  leaving 
with  me  as  I  should  consider  proper. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  months  he  returned  to  Rio, 
having  had  his  work  printed  and  bound  by  T.  &  A. 
Constable,  of  Edinburgh,  in  two  large  octavo  vol¬ 
umes  of  1360  pages.  He  brought  with  him  a  half 
dozen  copies,  and  had  the  rest  of  the  edition  of  two 
thousand  follow  later.  He  called  immediately  at  my 
home  to  make  me  a  present  of  the  first  copies.  The 
following  is  his  autograph  letter  of  presentation: 

June,  1921. 

No.  280,  Larengeiras, 

“Rev.  H.  C.  Tucker,  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

155  Paysandu. 

“My  dear  Mr.  Tucker: 

“I  owe  to  you  that  the  first  copy  of  this  book 
should  be  yours,  both  for  the  encouragement  you 

19 


constantly  gave  me  in  its  preparation  and  for  the 
deep  respect  in  which  I  hold  your  modest  but  not 
the  less  efficient  apostolic  work  in  my  country  for 
already  a  quarter  of  a  century.  I  hope  you  will  not 
be  disappointed  at  the  feeble  production  of  my  pur¬ 
suits.  I  will  be  satisfied  if  it  would  only  be  useful 
to  some  few  ones.  It  is  nothing  in  contrast  with 
the  subject’s  grandeur.  Finita  verba  sed  infinita  res. 

“Most  sincerely  yours, 

“J.  C.  Rodrigues.” 

This  work  was  prepared  and  published  at  great 
cost  of  money,  time,  and  toil ;  the  author  never  thought 
of  any  monetary  remuneration ;  on  the  contrary,  he 
knew  he  was  making  a  large  contribution  to  a  great 
cause.  In  his  preface  he  says,  using  editorial  style, 
“Thus  we  content  ourselves  with  having  consecrated 
our  resources  to  the  work  of  gathering  together  this 
enormous  and  rich  material,  and  bringing  it  to  the 
level  of  the  generality  of  readers ;  and  we  shall  be 
well  repaid,  if  we  can  inspire  in  some  of  them  the 
desire  to  continue  the  study  of  such  an  important 
subject.  He  says  also:  “Religious  truth  is  not  simply 
a  work  of  the  intellect,  but  is  of  the  Spirit.  The 
writings  of  the  Old  Testament  are  of  the  Spirit,  and 
only  He  can  give  them  life  and  can  interpret  them; 
and  it  is  only  with  the  heart  that  we  obtain  this ; 
without  Him  the  writings  of  the  Old  Testament  will 
be,  as  said  Isaiah,  ‘a  book  that  is  sealed,’  to  which  we 
look  with  our  minds  asleep  and  our  eyes  closed.  For 
us  the  Old  Testament  is  always  a  religious  book  that 
leads  us  to  Jesus  Christ,  after  the  fashion,  in  the 
language  of  St.  Paul,  of  the  ancient  tutor  that  pre¬ 
pares  the  pupil  for  the  Master.” 

Dr.  Rodrigues  has,  in  these  two  large  volumes, 
made  a  monumental  contribution  to  Biblical  litera¬ 
ture  in  the  Portuguese  language;  there  is  no  other 
work  like  it;  it  is  of  inestimable  value  to  all  who 

20 


wish  to  know  how  we  obtained  our  Bible  or  the  story 
of  the  Bible  in  the  making. 

He  once  said  to  me  that  the  Bible  had  been  to  the 
Brazilians  an  unknown  book  until  the  Bible  Societies 
began  to  send  copies  into  the  country,  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  ago.  As  the  educated  people 
begin  to  read  it,  and  the  Roman  Catholic  priests  de¬ 
nounce  it  as  a  false  Bible,  many  wish  to  know  what 
about  its  origin,  history,  meaning,  and  purpose,  and 
how  it  has  come  to  them  in  their  own  tongue.  His 
object  in  writing  was  to  help  answer  these  enquiries, 
and  to  interest  and  aid' men  in  studying  the  Book. 

Many  of  his  observations  are  striking,  and  his  con¬ 
clusions  illuminating.  I  translate  again  from  his 
preface:  “Our  principal  object  in  this  work  is  to 
show  that  the  advent  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  legitimate 
outcome  or  end  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  historic 
conclusion  of  the  divine  activity  in  the  life  of  Israel 
here  archived.  The  purpose,  then,  of  this  work, 
the  study  of  the  Old  Testament  as  preceding  the 
Christian  Revelation,  is  really  to  present  its  contents 
historically,  following  the  thread  of  progressive 
divine  revelation,  given  little  by  little  as  it  actually 
was.  For  us  today  such  a  study  increases  instead  of 
diminishing  the  reverence  that  the  sacred  documents 
inspire.  The  Old  Testament  is  always  for  us,  and 
now  more  than  ever,  the  niche  of  the  revelation  of 
God  in  the  history  of  the  people  of  Israel,  prepara¬ 
tory  to  the  coming  of  Christ ;  the  revelation  which, 
in  order  to  make  it  more  concrete  and  complete,  he 
caused  to  be  made  in  the  history  of  a  certain  people 
whom  he  chose  to  set  apart  for  this  purpose.” 

Again  he  writes :  “Without  the  Bible,  religion 
would  become  only  a  manifestation  of  individual 
sentiment,  subject  to  its  many  impulses.  Jesus 
Christ  is  a  real  living  head  that  governs  the  great 
congregation  of  believers  with  multiplied  manifesta¬ 
tions  of  his  power.  But  he  gave  us  the  Bible,  in 

21 


this  archive  of  the  process  of  revelation,  the  only 
original  pattern  by  which  we  can  determine  the 
true  Spirit,  whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  it  be  of 
men,  however  much  respect  they  may  deserve. 
Neither  in  the  Old  nor  in  the  New  Testament  does 
God  speak  to  a  sacerdotal  class,  giving  to  them  any 
right  whatever  to  hinder  the  people  from  hearing 
him;  but  if  in  the  first  he  left  his  oracles  that  we 
may  today  have  the  proof  of  his  faithfulness  in 
fulfilling  his  promise  to  Abraham  and  to  the  people 
that  should  descend  from  him,  in  the  New  Testament 
he  himself  speaks  through  Jesus  Christ  to  all  sinners 
of  all  races  and  nations,  and  upon  all  he  sends 
abundantly  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  does  all  this  directly, 
without  needing  the  least  intercession  of  any  church 
or  of  any  priest  whatever.  The  Bible,  all  of  it,  was 
written  by  men  of  the  people  and  for  the  people,  and 
not  alone  for  the  wise,  the  priests,  and  those  who 
govern.  It  is  the  Book  of  the  people,  with  the  same 
truth  for  all  classes.  It  is  necessary  that  it  should 
penetrate  the  activities  of  our  life.  Jesus  Christ  dwelt 
here  upon  the  earth  with  us,  in  this  tabernacle  of 
flesh,  and  spoke  to  all  classes  of  men;  and  he  still 
speaks  today  through  his  words  providentially  writ¬ 
ten,  gathered  together  and  preserved  in  the  New 
Testament  that  we  may  always  hear  them.  After  all 
these  centuries,  they  come  to  us  warm  from  the  heart 
where  they  echoed  not  as  those  from  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  of  all  times,  but  as  from  one  ‘who  has 
authority/  No  one  in  this  world  has  authority  to 
speak  to  our  hearts  as  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  he 
speaks  through  his  words  of  the  New  Testament. 
There  is  no  preaching  or  exhortations  of  his  disciples, 
however  sincere  and  wise  they  may  be,  that  can  com¬ 
pare  with  the  Word  of  the  Lord.” 

In  pursuit  of  his  investigations  and  studies  to  pre¬ 
pare  this  great  work  he  made  a  remarkable  collection 
of  books  on  various  phases  of  Old  Testament — 

22 


Introduction,  History,  and  Criticism.  No  such  ex¬ 
tensive  collection  exists  in  Brazil ;  it  would  form  a 
splendid  nucleus  for  a  library  to  perpetuate  his 
memory  and  to  serve  the  cause  of  evangelical 
Christianity. 

The  American  Ambassador,  Hon.  Edwin  V.  Mor¬ 
gan,  had  this  valuable  collection  of  books  purchased  at 
the  sale  of  Dr.  Rodrigues’  estate,  and  presented  them 
to  a  committee  of  trustees,  who  will  see  that  they  are 
made  available  for  the  use  of  those  interested  in 
Bible  studies.  The  deed  of  gift  is  as  follows : 

“Gentlemen  :  Having  learned  that,  acting  to¬ 
gether,  you  represent  interdenominational  organiza¬ 
tions  of  permanent  character,  combining  American, 
British,  and  Brazilian  elements,  desiring  to  organize 
a  library  for  the  use  of  pastors  and  Biblical  scholars, 
open  to  all  Protestant  clergymen  in  Brazil ;  learning, 
furthermore,  that  there  has  been  graciously  placed 
at  your  disposal  an  appropriate  space  for  the  said 
library  at  Rua  Primeiro  de  Marco,  no.  6,  second 
floor,  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  offer  you  a  collection 
of  books  relating  to  religious  subjects,  which  formed 
a  portion  of  the  library  of  the  late  Dr.  Jose  Carlos 
Rodrigues. 

“If  agreeable  to  you,  I  venture  to  express  the  wish 
that  this  collection  should  bear  the  name  of  our 
eminent  friend,  and  should  be  preserved  in  memory 
of  his  interest  in  Biblical  study  and  of  the  great 
work  upon  the  Bible  which  he  completed  shortly 
before  his  lamented  death. 

“I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Gentlemen, 

“Your  very  obedient, 

“Edwin  Morgan.” 

The  collection  is  now  installed  in  the  building 
occupied  by  the  Brazil  Agency  and  other  organiza¬ 
tions  above  mentioned. 


23 


The  Agency  Secretary  of  the  American  Bible  So¬ 
ciety  and  his  colleagues  in  these  offices  constitute 
the  board  of  trustees.  They  will  endeavor  to  develop 
and  make  the  library  increasingly  useful.  It  will 
perpetuate  the  great  ideal  and  purpose  Dr.  Rodrigues 
and  the  founder  of  the  library,  Mr.  Morgan,  had  in 
view :  to  help  men  know  what  it  is  possible  to  know 
and  experience  about  the  Book  of  books,  and  to  com¬ 
municate  that  knowledge  to  others. 

As  he  was  completing  these  two  volumes,  he 
became  deeply  interested  in  the  period  of  history 
between  the  close  of  the  Old  Testament  canon  and 
the  opening  of  the  New,  and  began  gathering  mate¬ 
rial  for  a  small  volume  on  the  subject.  While  his 
two-volume  work  was  being  printed,  he  had  occasion 
in  London  to  meet  Dr.  R.  H.  Charles,  canon  of  West¬ 
minster,  perhaps  the  greatest  living  scholar  on  the 
religious  development  between  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testaments.  Dr.  Charles  invited  him  to  tea  one 
afternoon.  After  his  return  to  Rio,  he  gave  me  a 
full  and  most  illuminating  account  of  the  visit  and 
conversation,  which  he  regarded  as  the  most  interest¬ 
ing  and  helpful  interview  he  had  ever  enjoyed. 

Dr.  Rodrigues  had  made  considerable  preliminary 
studies  and  preparation  for  a  volume  on  the  Life  of 
Christ  and  the  New  Testament.  There  are  a  number 
of  valuable  books  in  his  library  on  the  subject. 

The  Bible  an  Evangelical  Agency 

He  had  great  faith  in  the  reading  of  the  written 
Word  of  God  as  a  means  of  awakening,  enlightening, 
and  leading  men  to  Christ  the  Saviour.  He  often 
dropped  in  at  our  Bible  store  and  bought  supplies  of 
Gospels  and  New  Testaments  for  distribution  on 
steamers  and  elsewhere  when  making  voyages  across 
the  ocean.  He  once  related  to  me  with  great  interest 
an  incident  from  his  own  home.  He  had  just  re- 

24 


turned  from  a  mission  to  London,  where  he  nego¬ 
tiated  a  large  loan  and  carried  through  a  great  finan¬ 
cial  operation  for  the  Brazilian  Government,  and  in 
unpacking  his  valises  he  found  left  over  two  or  three 
copies  of  one  of  the  Gospels  in  Portuguese;  these  he 
laid  on  the  table  in  his  library.  In  the  morning 
the  colored  servant  went  as  usual  to  sweep  and  dust 
the  room;  his  attention  was  attracted  by  these  little 
books;  he  picked  up  one  and  began  to  read.  Pres¬ 
ently,  as  Dr.  Rodrigues  entered  the  library,  he  laid 
it  down  and  continued  with  his  morning  work, 
which  had  been  delayed  by  his  lingering  to  read  the 
new  and  interesting  stories  he  had  found.  When 
asked  if  he  would  like  to  have  one  to  take  along 
with  him,  he  replied  in  the  affirmative.  Dr.  Rodri¬ 
gues  noted  in  a  short  time  a  change  in  his  manner 
of  life  about  the  house  and  his  work,  and  asked 
if  he  were  reading  the  little  book.  He  learned  that 
the  servant  was  indeed  deeply  interested  in  it  and 
gave  evidence  of  a  desire  to  know  more  about  its 
meaning  and  more  about  Jesus  of  whom  it  had  so 
much  to  say.  He  advised  him  to  go  to  a  Methodist 
church  about  a  block  away,  where  an  American  mis¬ 
sionary  was  preaching.  The  boy  began  to  attend 
the  services  regularly,  was  converted,  joined  the 
church,  and  became  a  consistent  Christian  man.  Dr. 
Rodrigues  found  a  place  for  him  in  the  printing 
office  of  his  daily  paper,  where  he  could  learn  a 
useful  trade  and  gain  more  money.  He  became  a 
capable  and  trusted  workman,  married,  made  his 
home  in  a  suburb  of  the  city,  and  lived  happily  in 
the  knowledge  of  the  Saviour  revealed  in  the  little 
book  he  had  accidentally  picked  up  in  the  library 
of  his  employer. 

Dr.  Rodrigues  said  to  me,  as  we  sat  alone  one 
evening  in  his  home,  that  incidents  like  that  of  this 
servant,  many  others  of  which  he  had  known,  and 
that  of  his  own  experience  in  early  life,  had  led  him 

25 


to  believe  strongly  in  the  wide  distribution  of  the 
Bible  and  separate  portions  of  the  Word  of  God 
among  the  people  everywhere ;  that  Christian  men 
and  women  should  diligently  sow  beside  all  waters, 
being  assured  that  the  Word  shall  not  return  void, 
but  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  it  is  sent. 


The  Influence  of  the  Bible  upon  His  Life 

Dr.  Rodrigues’  study  and  investigations  concern¬ 
ing  ancient  documents  and  manuscripts  of  the  Bible 
was  in  somewise  associated  with  his  efforts  in  making 
the  most  valuable  and  extensive  collection  of  rare 
documents  and  works  on  the  history  of  Brazil  now  in 
existence.  Each  line  of  inquiry  and  study  seems 
to  have  stimulated  the  other;  each  reacted  upon  the 
other  in  his  thinking.  This  wonderful  Brazilian 
historical  and  biographical  collection  was  made 
through  a  long  period  of  years  at  a  great  expenditure 
of  time,  patient  and  persistent  effort,  and  money. 
The  author  prepared  and  published  an  extensive 
annotated  catalogue  of  this  collection.  In  the  preface 
he  speaks  in  a  modest  way  of  having  given  to  these 
studies  only  the  hours  that  he  could  spare  from  the 
many  ordinary  labors  of  a  busy  life. 

This  catalogue  is  a  large  octavo  volume  of  six 
hundred  and  eighty  pages;  the  titles  are  in  large 
type,  but  the  comments  and  explanations  are  in  very 
small  type;  so  the  volume  represents  a  vast  amount 
of  research  and  contains  a  store  of  valuable  informa¬ 
tion  nowhere  else  to  be  found.  A  hundred  copies 
only  were  printed;  he  made  me  a  present  of  one 
copy,  which  I  greatly  prize  and  find  exceedingly  in¬ 
teresting  and  helpful. 

He  finally  sold  this  remarkable  collection  for  one 
hundred  and  fifty  contos  of  reis,  Brazilian  currency, 
or  about  fifty  or  sixty  thousand  dollars  at  that  time, 
to  a  wealthy  Brazilian,  who  made  a  present  of  it  to 

26 


the  great  National  Library  at  Rio.  He  invested  the 
money  in  a  polyclinic  for  children. 

He  was  a  man  of  incessant  toil,  and  possessed  a 
remarkable  capacity  for  intellectual  pursuits.  He 
was  deeply  convinced  that  the  study  of  the  Bible  had 
greatly  stimulated  and  influenced  his  intellectual  life 
and  added  much  to  his  culture  of  mind  and  heart. 

Early  in  his  reading  and  study  of  the  Bible,  Dr. 
Rodrigues  had  been  deeply  impressed  with  recorded 
incidents  of  Jesus’  love  for  children.  The  story  of 
bringing  unto  him  little  children  that  he  might  touch 
them  greatly  moved  his  heart.  He  had  often  read 
and  thought  of  those  wonderful  words,  “Suffer  the 
little  children  to  come  unto  me ;  forbid  them  not : 
for  to  such  belongeth  the  kingdom  of  God.  Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  in  no  wise 
enter  therein.  And  he  took  them  in  his  arms,  and 
blessed  them,  laying  his  hands  upon  them.’’ 

As  he  went  about  the  streets  of  the  city  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  busy  with  the  responsibilities  and  work  of 
his  great  daily  paper,  he  had  observed  the  lack  of 
interest  in,  and  provision  for,  the  welfare  of  little 
children.  The  frequent  reports  of  heavy  infant 
mortality  in  the  city  were  occasions  for  editorial 
comments.  After  spending  some  time  on  the  board 
of  directors  of  the  hospital,  in  council  with  friends,  a 
plan  was  worked  out  for  establishing  and  directing 
a  polyclinic  for  children.  Dr.  Rodrigues  invested  a 
large  sum  of  money  in  a  suitable  building  and  equip¬ 
ment  for  the  purpose,  and  later  added  such  other 
amounts  to  the  fund  as  he  was  able.  The  institution 
is  ministering  relief  and  nourishment  annually  to 
thousands  of  sick  and  undernourished  children.  As 
I  write  these  lines,  the  statistical  report  of  the  move¬ 
ment  for  the  past  month  in  that  institution  is  before 
me,  showing  that  five  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
ninety-nine  free  medical  consultations  were  given  for 

27 


children  during  the  month,  seven  thousand  two  hun¬ 
dred  and  seventy-one  prescriptions  were  filled,  four 
thousand  two  hundred  and  thirty-four  litres  of  milk 
distributed,  thirty  visits  made  to  homes,  and  various 
other  services  rendered  to  sick  children. 

Dr.  Rodrigues,  as  has  already  been  noted,  be¬ 
came  widely  known  and  recognized  among  his  own 
people  as  a  Bible  student  and  a  man  of  pronounced 
views  and  observance  of  the  teachings  of  Prot¬ 
estant  Christianity.  In  the  year  1899,  a  committee 
was  organized  to  prepare  an  extensive  historical 
centenary  volume  to  commemorate  the  one  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  opening  of  the  ports  of  Brazil 
to  world-wide  commerce.  A  distinguished  priest  was 
chosen  to  prepare  the  chapter  on  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  in  Brazil,  and  Dr.  Jose  Carlos  Rodrigues  was 
invited  to  write  the  chapter  on  the  non-Catholic  re¬ 
ligions  in  the  country.  He  accepted  the  invitation 
on  the  one  condition  that  he  was  not  to  be  restricted  in 
the  treatment  of  the  subject.  He  wrote  a  most  valu¬ 
able  chapter  on  the  historical  development  of  liberty 
of  worship,  the  final  separation  of  church  and  state, 
and  an  account  of  all  the  Protestant  branches  of 
Christianity  operating  in  the  country.  A  capable  and 
conscientious  man,  whose  mind  and  heart  had  been 
enlightened  by  the  Word  and  Spirit  of  God,  could 
not  consent  to  write  such  a  chapter  and  leave  untold 
the  opposition  and  persecutions  that  the  Bible  and 
Protestant  Christianity  have  suffered  in  efforts  to 
find  a  way  to  the  hearts  of  the  people.  The  author 
has  gathered  and  compressed  into  small  space  much 
accurate  and  valuable  information  on  the  subject. 
He  writes  somewhat  fully  of  the  first  missionary 
efforts  of  the  Revs.  R.  J.  Spaulding  and  D.  P. 
Kidder,  1836-1842,  to  distribute  Bibles  and  New 
Testaments  in  Brazil.  In  his  conclusion  he  says, 
“Any  one  who  gives  a  glance  of  the  eyes  at  the  his¬ 
tory  of  our  mother  country,  as  we  have  just  repre- 

28 


sented  it,  will  note  how  religion,  in  the  form  in 
which  it  has  been  understood  and  put  into  practice, 
has  contributed  to  bring  about  the  present  state  of 
decadence.”  He  pleads  strongly  for  religious  liberty 
and  for  the  spread  of  Biblical  Christianity  through¬ 
out  the  nation. 

This  chapter  of  the  Centennial  volume  was  printed 
also  in  separate  form,  and  is  a  volume  of  279  pages. 
I  greatly  prize  a  beautifully  bound  copy  which  the 
author  presented  to  me  shortly  after  it  came  from 
the  press.  Its  circulation  has  been  a  valuable  con¬ 
tribution  to  the  spread  of  Protestant  Christian  truth, 
and  to  the  awakening  of  interest  in  the  reading  and 
study  of  the  Bible. 

Dr.  Rodrigues  at  times  spoke  gratefully  to  me  of 
the  influence  that  the  reading  and  study  of  the  Bible 
had  upon  his  outlook  on  life,  and  in  the  formation 
of  the  ideals  and  motives  that  governed  his  thinking 
and  acting. 

The  People’s  Central  Institute  was  established  in 
the  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  in  the  year  1906,  with 
a  rather  comprehensive  program  for  religious  and 
social  activities.  When  the  time  came  for  attempting 
something  modestly  in  the  way  of  an  elementary 
course  in  nurse-training  for  the  first  time  in  the  city, 
it  was  necessary  to  give  publicity  to  the  subject,  and 
to  create  as  far  as  possible  interest  in  the  new  idea. 
He  was  the  first  to  open  the  columns  of  his  paper  for 
setting  forth  the  significance  and  scope  of  the  mis¬ 
sion,  and  the  importance  to  the  community,  of  the 
trained  nurse.  In  his  study  of  the  New  Testament 
he  had  been  impressed  with  Jesus’  sense  of  the 
value  and  sacredness  of  human  life,  and  of  his  inter¬ 
est  in  the  physical  and  social  well-being  of  men.  He 
was  ready  to  give  his  approval  to  the  idea,  and  to 
support  the  efforts  to  train  young  women  for  this 
Christian  service. 

In  the  course  of  time  the  workers  at  the  People’s 

29 


Central  Institute  planned  to  introduce  school  hygiene, 
teaching  the  children  to  daily  brush  and  care  for 
their  teeth,  establishing  a  public  playground  by  per¬ 
mission  of  the  mayor  of  the  city  in  one  of  the  great 
parks,  where  the  children  might  be  taught  wisely 
directed  play,  and  might  enjoy  the  blessing  of  fresh 
air,  feeding,  and  giving  medical  and  dental  care.  Dr. 
Rodrigues  was  one  of  the  first  to  give  approval  and 
financial  support  to  the  program.  To  carry  out  the 
playground  idea  and  other  features  of  the  work,  it 
was  necessary  to  obtain  access  to  the  mayor  and 
other  public  officials.  He  was  always  ready  to  give 
letters  of  introduction  and  assurances  of  his  hearty 
indorsement;  and  by  notices  and  comments  in  his 
paper  he  rendered  a  great  service  to  a  practical 
Christian  program.  He  was  through  the  years  an 
ardent  friend  and  generous  supporter  of  the  work 
at  the  People’s  Central  Institute.  Only  a  few  days 
before  going  to  the  hospital  for  an  operation  from 
which  he  never  recovered,  he  sent  me  a  fifty-dollar 
contribution  for  the  work  of  the  Institute. 

His  advice  was  sought  as  to  the  advisability  of 
attempting  a  lecture  illustrated  with  lantern  slides, 
to  awaken  public  interest  in  a  campaign  to  combat 
the  spread  of  tuberculosis  in  the  city.  Again  his 
paper  was  open  for  communications  on  the  subject; 
his  presence  at  the  lecture  and  his  personal  contribu¬ 
tion  to  the  expenses  gave  assurance  of  approval  and 
success.  He  was  so  well  and  favorably  known  that 
government  officials  and  men  of  high  social,  business, 
and  professional  standing  would  not  hesitate  to  ac¬ 
cept  an  invitation  to  attend,  if  they  knew  he  would 
be  there  and  was  giving  his  indorsement  publicly  in 
his  paper. 

Dr.  Rodrigues  was  one  of  the  first  prominent  Bra¬ 
zilians  to  show  interest  in  the  plan  to  establish  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  work  in  Brazil.  The  first  general  secretary 
sent  to  this  country  by  the  International  Committee 

30 


at  New  York  found  in  him  and  his  paper  ready 
support.  He  believed  in  the  program  of  the  Asso¬ 
ciation  and  heartily  recommended  it  to  the  young 
men  of  his  country;  and  at  the  same  time  was  a 
wise  counselor  and  a  generous  supporter  of  the 
work.  The  secretaries  for  Brazil  and  for  the  South 
American  continent  often  sought  his  advice  and  help 
in  their  plans  to  extend  the  work. 

He  was  in  London  at  the  time  I  was  commissioned 
by  the  committee  of  the  Rio  Association  to  solicit 
financial  help  in  Great  Britain,  to  pay  off  a  mortgage 
on  the  Rio  building.  He  invited  me  to  a  special 
breakfast,  and  was  ready  to  let  Londoners  know  of 
his  interest  and  faith  in  the  work  of  the  Association 
in  the  capital  city  of  his  country.  He  was  greatly 
pleased  to  know  on  that  occasion  that  Sir  George 
Williams  had  given  me  his  personal  contribution  to 
the  fund  to  which  he  was  contributing  also. 

Later  the  Rio  Association  decided  on  a  campaign 
to  raise  funds  for  a  large  new  and  modern  building 
and  equipment.  It  was  my  opinion  that  his  accept¬ 
ance  of  the  presidency  of  the  campaign  committee 
would  guarantee  in  a  large  measure  the  success  of 
the  enterprise.  When  we  approached  him  on  the  sub¬ 
ject,  he  modestly  declined  and  suggested  other  names. 
As  we  talked  over  the  plans  and  the  great  need,  I 
became  more  thoroughly  convinced  than  ever  that 
he  was  the  man  for  the  chairmanship.  He  accepted, 
threw  himself  into  the  work,  and  under  his  inspiring 
leadership  more  than  the  sum  for  which  the  com¬ 
mittee  had  started  out  was  secured  in  nine  days, 
instead  of  fifteen  as  was  originally  contemplated.  I 
shall  ever  remember  a  number  of  calls  we  made 
together  on  prominent  Brazilians,  to  solicit  their  sub¬ 
scriptions.  To  him  it  was  a  service  of  love  in  which 
he  found  much  satisfaction.  It  was  the  first  time 
he  had  ever  joined  actively  in  such  an  enterprise. 
He  sought  daily  during  the  campaign  strength  and 

31 


inspiration  through  special  prayer  and  Bible  reading, 
as  he  told  me. 

The  next  step  in  the  plan  was  to  secure  a  suitable 
lot  for  the  proposed  new  building;  this  seemed  a 
more  difficult  problem  than  that  of  raising  the  money. 
The  committee  was  almost  in  despair  of  finding 
available  a  desirable  site.  Dr.  Rodrigues  by  and  by 
obtained  the  refusal  as  a  private  investment  of.  a 
conveniently  located  lot.  While  pursuing  his  daily 
Bible  reading  and  prayer,  the  thought  occurred  to 
him  that  the  property  might  be  desirable  for  the  new 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  building.  He  did  not  hesitate  long  in 
consulting  the  committee,  and  said  to  us  that  he 
would  gladly  give  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  the  right  of  way, 
and  would  help  to  get  the  deal  through,  if  all 
thought  the  site  a  suitable  one.  He  knew  the  invest¬ 
ment  would  be  a  paying  one  to  him,  but  he  would 
gladly  yield  it  in  favor  of  the  Association.  The 
property  was  secured,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the 
municipal  authorities  began  city  improvements  in  that 
direction,  which  have  so  greatly  enhanced  values,  that 
the  land  before  the  building  is  begun  is  worth  five 
times  the  original  cost.  In  this  transaction  he  took 
great  delight,  knowing  that  he  had  rendered  a  real 
Christian  service,  though  at  the  sacrifice  of  an  excel¬ 
lent  opportunity  to  add  to  his  own  fortune. 

The  reading  of  the  Bible,  its  influence  upon  his 
own  life,  and  his  observations  of  its  effect  on  other 
minds,  enhanced  for  him  the  value  of  wholesome 
moral  and  religious  literature.  At  the  World’s  Sun¬ 
day-school  Convention  in  Washington,  1910,  several 
delegates  from  Brazil  were  present ;  we  had  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  calling  attention  to  this  needy  and  promising 
field.  Further  study  of  conditions  impressed  all  with 
the  primary  need  of  trained  teachers.  There  was  no 
literature  in  existence  for  the  purpose  in  Portuguese. 
I  obtained  permission  from  the  author  and  secured 
the  translation  of  Charles  A.  Oliver’s  ‘‘Training  of 

32 


the  Teacher.”  There  was  only  a  small  amount  of 
money  in  hand  to  cover  the  cost  of  printing.  I  knew 
that  Dr.  Rodrigues  was  interested  to  see  the  Sunday- 
school  work  established  and  extended  among  his 
people.  The  situation  was  stated,  and  he  replied  at 
once  that  he  would  gladly  aid  with  the  publication 
of  the  book.  He  went  with  me  to  the  foreman  of 
his  publishing  company,  and  explained  that  the  work 
of  printing  and  binding  was  to  be  done  at  the  lowest 
possible  figure  without  any  profit  whatever.  He  was 
greatly  pleased  to  see  the  work  well  done,  and  to 
know  that  in  a  comparatively  short  time  the  entire 
edition  of  a  thousand  two  hundred  copies  had  been 
sold,  and  that  between  eight  and  nine  hundred  per¬ 
sons  were  studying  the  course  regularly,  preparatory 
to  receiving  certificates  and  to  become  efficient  Sun¬ 
day-school  teachers.  When  a  second  and  larger  edi¬ 
tion  was  demanded,  he  was  ready  to  repeat  the  process 
of  printing  and  binding  without  financial  profit. 

The  interest  awakened  by  the  efforts  of  the  first 
Protestant  American  missionaries  to  circulate  the 
Bible  in  Brazil,  1836-1842,  above  referred  to,  led  a 
talented  Roman  Catholic  priest  to  translate  and  pub¬ 
lish  in  Portuguese  a  remarkable  little  work  by  an 
Italian  priest,  entitled  “Christian  Doctrine.”  Dr. 
Rodrigues  chanced  to  find  a  copy  of  this  book  in  a 
secondhand  bookstore;  he  was  deeply  impressed  with 
it,  as  he  noticed  that  it  consisted  almost  exclusively 
of  quotations  from  the  Scriptures.  He  preserved 
this  copy  for  many  years,  and  about  the  time  Brazil 
was  to  celebrate  the  centenary  of  her  political  inde¬ 
pendence  with  a  great  exposition,  he  brought  this 
little  book  to  me  with  the  suggestion  that  it  would 
be  useful,  if  it  could  be  printed  for  wide  circulation. 
The  suggestion  was  acted  upon,  and  hundreds  of 
copies  have  gone  out  all  through  the  country.  In 
one  of  our  last  conversations  he  referred  to  it,  and 
told  me  how  delighted  he  was  to  know  that  the  little 

33 


book  of  Scripture  texts  had  again  been  printed  and 
was  being  widely  circulated  among  his  people. 

The  knowledge  of  the  Bible  and  its  influence  upon 
his  life  gave  him  breadth  of  view  and  a  sense  of 
international  brotherhood.  Although  not  a  wealthy 
man,  in  his  later  years  of  life  he  was  in  comfortable 
circumstances,  lived  well,  and  was  able  to  entertain 
distinguished  visitors  coming  to  Rio.  He  seemed  to 
find  special  delight  in  entertaining  at  his  home  promi¬ 
nent  Americans  who  might  officially  or  unofficially 
visit  the  city.  On  these  occasions  we  were  often 
honored  with  invitations  to  be  present. 

For  many  years  it  has  been  the  custom  for  the 
American  community  of  Rio  to  commemorate  certain 
national  holidays,  such  as  the  Fourth  of  July,  the 
Seventh  of  September,  and  other  occasions,  with  spe¬ 
cial  religious  services.  Dr.  Rodrigues  frequently 
attended  and  joined  heartily  in  the  worship. 

It  was  my  privilege  many  times  to  introduce  to 
Dr.  Rodrigues  prominent  men,  missionary  and  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  secretaries,  bishops,  and  others  visiting  Brazil 
or  sojourning  here  for  a  short  time  on  missions  of 
Christian  service.  He  was  always  pleased  to  invite 
them  to  call  upon  him  in  his  house.  I  cherish  many 
happy  recollections  of"  those  delightful  occasions. 
He  extended  to  Dr.  Josiah  Strong  a  cordial  welcome 
when  I  explained  the  object  of  his  mission,  and  gave 
the  use  of  a  large  hall  in  the  building  of  his  news¬ 
paper  for  a  lecture  on  social  service.  He  desired 
that  a  social  reform  movement,  similar  to  the  work 
Dr.  Strong  directed  in  New  York  for  many  years 
with  marked  efficiency,  should  be  started  in  Brazil. 
He  was  greatly  interested  in  Dr.  John  R.  Mott’s 
visit,  and  those  of  other  Y.  M.  C.  A.  men  coming  to 
Brazil.  Bishops  Hoss  and  Lambuth  gave  him  much 
encouragement  in  his  great  work  on  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment.  Bishop  Muzon  remarked,  after  our  delightful 
visit  with  him,  that  Dr.  Rodrigues  and  his  work  was 

34 


the  one  great  surprise  Brazil  held  for  him.  The 
delegation  from  the  Panama  Congress  on  Christian 
Work  that  made  a  trip  around  South  America  in 
1916  were  charmed  and  profoundly  impressed  the 
afternoon  we  enjoyed  a  call  upon  him  and  talked 
of  his  work  on  the  Bible.  He  visited  the  Rio  Regional 
Congress,  was  introduced,  and  spoke  a  few  words  to 
the  body.  Bishops  Moore  and  Dobbs  have  spoken  of 
a  most  delightful  evening  we  enjoyed  in  his  home. 
He  was  fond  of  music,  and  had  installed  in  his  home 
an  autopipe  organ,  which  he  had  learned  to  play  with 
considerable  skill;  he  found  much  pleasure  in  per¬ 
forming  for  us  on  this  occasion ;  it  was  a  thrilling 
sight  to  behold,  and  we  were  charmed  with  his 
playing. 

There  are  several  interesting  paragraphs  on  the 
poetry,  music,  musicians,  and  musical  instruments  of 
the  Old  Testament  in  his  monumental  work.  He 
says  that  a  people  like  the  Hebrews,  of  such  deep 
emotions,  would  certainly  from  the  beginning  of  their 
national  existence  cultivate  the  art  of  poetry.  They, 
like  all  the  Semitic  races,  associated  with  their  ancient 
legends  poetry  and  music.  We  need  only  to  recall 
the  song  of  Lamech,  various  songs  mentioned  during 
the  journey  from  Sinai  to  Canaan,  the  famous  song 
of  Deborah,  etc.  Poetry  and  music  were  the  means 
by  which  the  Hebrews  expressed  their  emotions  in 
domestic  and  public  festivals,  funerals,  and  in  battle. 
Judging  from  the  Old  Testament,  which  is  nearly  all 
the  ancient  Hebrew  literature  we  know,  it  appears 
that  their  poetry  and,  in  fact,  all  their  literary  pro¬ 
ductions  were  religious.  Hebrew  poetry  is  divided 
into  lyric  and  didactic.  During  the  Mosaic  period, 
lyric  poetry  received  a  great  impulse.  After  the 
destruction  of  Pharaoh’s  hosts  at  the  Red  Sea,  Moses 
and  the  children  of  Israel  sang  the  celebrated  song 
recorded  in  Exodus  15:1-18. 

But  it  was  during  the  reign  of  David  that  lyric 

35 


poetry  flourished  in  Israel.  The  religious  poems  of 
the  epoch  of  this  king  and  his  successors  are  collected 
chiefly  in  the  Book  of  Psalms.  This  book  is  the  most 
precious  deposit  of  Hebrew  lyric  poetry  in  existence. 
Then  after  discussing  didactic  Hebrew  poetry,  he 
says  that  a  peculiar  phase  of  Hebrew  poetry  is  its 
application  to  divinely  inspired  prophecy ;  this  clear 
vision  of  the  future  is  the  sister  of  poetry.  He  writes 
somewhat  fully  and  enthusiastically  of  the  use  of 
poetry  and  the  Psalms  in  song  as  a  prominent  fea¬ 
ture  of  Hebrew  worship  and  ritual. 

He  speaks  of  the  song  of  Deborah  in  Judges  5  as 
“the  hymn  of  victory,  a  song,  a  Te  Deum  Laudamus 
for  the  delivery  of  Israel  from  the  yoke  of  the 
Canaanites.”  As  regards  the  use  of  the  Psalms  in 
the  liturgical  worship,  we  need  only  to  read  I  Chron. 
16  to  show  that  the  Psalms  were  sung  in  the 
first  temple.  He  quotes  the  words  of  Hezekiah  when 
he  had  recovered  from  a  serious  illness : 

Jehovah  is  ready  to  save  me ; 

Therefore  we  will  sing  my  song  with  stringed 
instruments 

All  the  days  of  our  life  in  the  house  of  Jehovah. 

Isa.  38:28 

His  remarks  on  the  musicians  and  musical  instru¬ 
ments  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  are  equally 
striking.  The  reader  of  these  paragraphs  to  which 
we  refer,  and  from  which  we  have  translated  freely, 
can  well  understand  why  and  how  the  author  came 
to  appreciate  music  as  an  expression  of  the  noblest 
form  of  religious  sentiments  and  an  important 
feature  of  worship. 

When  the  estate  was  being  disposed  of,  Mrs.  Ro¬ 
drigues  called  me  by  phone  to  her  hotel  and  wished 
to  know  if  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  might 
not  like  to  have  for  their  new  building  the  organ 
above  referred  to.  When  assured  that  it  would,  in¬ 
deed,  be  a  valuable  and  most  useful  acquisition,  she 

36 


asked  for  the  privilege  of  making  a  present  of  this 
grand  organ  in  memory  of  Dr.  Rodrigues,  to  be 
installed  in  the  large  hall  of  the  new  building  now 
under  construction,  in  which  he  was  so  deeply 
interested. 


His  Last  Days 

The  great  World  War  deeply  distressed  Dr.  Rodri¬ 
gues,  as  it  did  every  man  of  enlightened,  refined 
Christian  sentiment  and  convictions.  The  subject  of 
contraband  in  war  engaged  his  thought  for  a  time. 
A  number  of  friends  prevailed  on  him  to  make  a 
special  study  of  the  subject,  and  to  write  a  treatise 
upon  it.  This  and  some  other  matters  so  occupied 
his  time  and  attention,  that  he  was  not  able  to  settle 
down  again  seriously  to  his  Bible  work.  In  a  short 
time  signs  appeared  of  what  finally  proved  to  be  a 
fatal  illness ;  though  for  a  time  there  was  no  occasion 
for  alarm,  yet  at  his  advanced  age  it  was  not  easy  to 
apply  himself  to  consecutive  study.  In  May,  1923, 
his  sickness  suddenly  became  acute,  and  it  was  neces¬ 
sary  for  him  to  hasten  to  a  hospital  and  call  for  the 
services  of  a  surgeon.  The  operation  was  not  suc¬ 
cessful,  but  he  recovered  sufficiently  to  go  to  Paris 
and  place  his  case  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  most 
skilful  surgeons  of  the  day.  After  the  operation 
at  Rio  I  inquired  daily  at  the  hospital,  to  know  how 
he  was  getting  along.  After  a  few  days  he  was 
stronger  again,  and  when  he  learned  that  I  was  at 
the  hospital,  sent  for  me  to  his  room.  Mrs.  Rodri¬ 
gues  and  the  attendant  retired,  and  we  were  alone 
for  a  time.  He  conversed  freely  of  his  condition  and 
of  the  failure  of  the  operation  to  produce  the  desired 
results;  then  told  me  of  his  desire  to  go  to  Paris,  if 
it  might  be  the  Lord’s  will  that  his  life  be  prolonged. 
The  conversation  then  turned  to  spiritual  things;  he 
assured  me  that  all  was  well,  and  that  he  fully  trusted 

37 


the  Jesus  whom  he  had  found  in  his  reacjing  and 
study  of  the  Bible.  He  would  be  glad  to  live  and 
have  strength  to  pursue  his  program  to  write  a  small 
volume  on  the  period  between  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  and  then  to  complete  the  work  on  Christ 
and  the  Apostolic  age ;  but  if  it  should  be  God’s  will, 
he  was  ready  to  leave  all  to  others  who  might  prove 
more  capable  and  worthy  than  he  to  finish  the  task. 
After  we  had  talked  for  a  time  in  the  heavenly  and 
hallowed  atmosphere  that  filled  that  sick  room,  he 
drew  from  under  his  pillow  a  Portuguese  New  Testa¬ 
ment,  handed  it  to  me  and  said,  “Read  such  passages 
as  you  may  think  appropriate,  and  then  let  us  pray 
together.”  His  heart  rejoiced  to  hear,  at  that  time 
of  deep  need,  words  of  promise  and  comfort  which 
he  had  often  read  and  thought  upon.  His  voice 
trembled  with  deep  emotion,  his  eyes  grew  dim  with 
tears,  and  his  face  shone  with  a  radiance  of  glory. 
That  was  an  hour  and  an  occasion  that  will  never 
fade  from  my  memory.  As  I  bade  him  good-bye  and 
walked  out  into  the  garden,  under  the  shadow  of  the 
trees,  among  the  flowers  and  foliage  plants  surround¬ 
ing  the  hospital,  I  felt  constrained  to  linger,  and  was 
reluctant  to  leave  the  place  of  such  sweet  communion 
and  glorious  fellowship.  It  was  a  high  privilege  and 
honor  to  be  called  to  minister  spiritual  comfort  at 
such  a  time  to  this  eminent  Brazilian  and  distin¬ 
guished  scholar  of  refinement,  culture,  and  wide  ex¬ 
perience.  I  had  known  him  in  the  vigor  of  an  active 
life,  busy  with  tremendous  responsibilities,  in  the 
quiet  and  repose  of  his  home,  in  social  and  public 
life,  and  in  the  midst  of  his  studies  and  research  to 
find  for  himself  and  to  write  for  others  the  fullest 
meaning  of  the  Book  of  God;  now  I  was  called  to 
walk  in  his  company  along  the  shadowy  and  untried 
path  that  leads  across  the  river.  The  fellowship  was 
delightful  and  inspiring.  He  was  not  afraid,  for  he 
was  conscious  of  the  presence  of  Him  whom  he  had 

38 


found  in  the  great  Book.  The  occasion  revealed 
more  clearly  the  genuineness  and  reality  of  his  faith 
in  the  living  Christ  made  known  in  the  Bible. 

He  recovered  strength  and  returned  to  his  home, 
where  I  again  enjoyed  his  company  for  a  short  time. 
He  was  hopeful  that  he  might  find  permanent  relief 
from  the  surgeon’s  knife  at  Paris,  and  made  the 
voyage  thither.  He  said  to  a  Brazilian  friend,  whom 
he  met  as  he  landed  in  Europe,  that  he  would  be 
glad  to  find  a  ship  the  next  day  to  take  him  back 
to  his  native  land.  He  evidently  began  to  realize  that 
the  end  was  indeed  near.  Just  before  submitting 
to  the  second  surgical  attempt,  he  wrote  to  an  aged 
widowed  sister  at  Rio,  who  had  made  her  home  with 
him  for  many  years,  not  to  be  disturbed  if  the  efifort 
was  unsuccessful;  that  sooner  or  later  all  must  pass 
on,  and  that  he  would  only  be  going  the  way  of  all 
flesh.  He  assured  her  of  the  certainty  of  God’s  un¬ 
failing  love,  that  He  would  take  care  of  her,  and 
that  they  would  surely  meet  again  some  day. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  Rodrigues  I  had  the 
privilege  of  seeing  entries  made  in  his  diary,  and  of 
hearing  of  his  last  days  on  earth.  He  recorded  with 
gratitude  the  attention  of  the  President  of  the  Repub¬ 
lic  when  he  embarked  for  Paris,  of  friends  on  the 
way  and  of  members  of  his  family  and  others  who 
met  him  at  Cherbourg  and  Paris.  Those  to  whom 
he  was  dear  provided  every  possible  comfort  for  him, 
and  were  unceasing  in  their  thoughtfulness  and  care. 
He  occasionally  recorded  having  suffered  much  pain, 
but  never  complained  or  murmured  at  his  lot. 

He  was  always  thoughtful  of  his  family  and 
friends,  and  delighted  to  record  their  love  and  kind¬ 
ness.  The  entries  in  his  diary  are  marvels  of  attention 
to  details  of  business,  interest  in  his  friends,  and  de¬ 
votion  to  his  family.  His  Bible  was  his  companion 
to  the  end  of  the  journey.  It  was  by  his  side  when 
he  passed  away,  with  several  leaves  opened  in  a 

39 


striking  manner.  During  his  last  hours,  when  loved 
ones  were  tenderly  and  devotedly  watching  by  his 
bedside,  and  doctors  and  nurses  were  doing  what 
they  could  for  him,  he  was  heard  to  say,  “I  am  so 
happy.”  The  soul  went  out  to  be  forever  with  Him 
whose  Word  in  life  had  been  his  light  and  guide. 

One  of  the  daughters  some  weeks  after  his  de¬ 
parture,  writing  to  her  mother  about  Dr.  Rodrigues’s 
monumental  work  on  the  Old  Testafnent,  said:  “I 
feel  that  Papa  would  love  to  think  that  his  book  was 
going  on  as  it  were.  Many  times  I  feel  the  tremen¬ 
dous  influence  of  his  life.  Is  it  not  wonderful  to 
have  left  such  a  light  behind  one.  What  a  life  he 
really  had,  and  for  nearly  eighty  years  too.” 
Another  wrote,  “Send  some  flowers  from  me  to  the 
Children’s  Hospital  Chapel  in  memory  of  Papa  dear¬ 
est  ;  I  should  like  that.” 

I  have  here  recorded  a  few  things  concerning  my 
acquaintance  and  fellowship  with  one  of  Brazil’s  most 
distinguished,  capable,  and  worthy  citizens;  how  I 
came  to  know  him ;  how  he  found  the  Bible ;  how  the 
Bible  found  him ;  its  influence  upon  his  life  and 
character;  what  he  did  to  make  it  known  to  others, 
and  of  our  last  season  of  glorious  fellowship  as  he 
walked  with  assurance  into  the  shadows. 

Dr.  Jose  Carlos  Rodrigues  was  a  diligent  student, 
an  accomplished  scholar,  a  greater  editor,  a  success¬ 
ful  financier  and  business  man,  a  philanthropist,  a 
loyal  citizen,  an  ardent  internationalist,  a  refined,  cul¬ 
tured  and  hospitable  gentleman,  a  true  and  helpful 
friend,  and  a  sincere  Christian. 


4996-2-25-5m 


BIBLE  HOUSE,  NEW  YORK 


POLYCLINIC  FOR  CHILDREN,  RIO  DE  JANEIRO,  FOUNDED 
BY  DR.  JOSE  CARLOS  RODRIGUES,  1909 
(see  page  27) 


The  Republic  of  Brazil  has  an  area  of  3,218,130 
square  miles,  with  an  estimated  population  of 
32,000,000.  The  American  Bible  Society  and  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  co-operating,  en¬ 
deavor  through  their  regularly  employed  colporteurs 
and  numerous  correspondents  to  reach  every  in¬ 
habited  part  of  the  country  and  to  offer  to  every 
person  who  can  read,  the  Scriptures  in  his  own 
tongue.  The  annual  circulation,  increasing  all  the 
time,  has  reached  more  than  120,000.  The  Scrip¬ 
tures  are  sold  at  actual  cost  of  manufacture,  many 
times  for  less  to  those  who  have  not  the  money  to 
buy,  and  are  given  to  the  poor  and  destitute.  Dis¬ 
counts  and  grants  are  made  for  missionary  purposes. 

For  full  information  address : 

Brazil  Agency  of  the  American  Bible  Society, 
Rua  Primeiro  No.  6 — Primeiro  Andar, 

Caixa  454, 

(Cable  address :  Bibles) 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil. 

Rev.  H.  C.  Tucker,  D.D„, 

Agency  Secretary. 


